Posts Tagged 'biking'

Community service is an integral part of the MAcc program – you can get in with VITA, preparing tax returns. FisherCares offers a multitude of opportunities to fundraise and give back. And trust me, these are just the first two of many that pop into my head.

There’s a relatively new way to give back at Ohio State though, and its the way that I’ve chosen to devote my time and resources – Pelotonia. Pelotonia is a bike ride (not a race!) that raises money for cancer research here at the James Comprehensive Cancer Center. 100% of every dollar raised comes back to the James, which is an incredible feat. Pelotonia is giving patients all around the world new hope in their fight against cancer. Further, the ride is fully supported…this means its an all you can eat, all you can drink, “we’ll fix your bike if you have an issue” kind of ride. Pretty sweet, huh?

At Ohio State, we have Team Buckeye, and specifically the Team Buckeye Student Riders (of which there is a specific Fisher team). This team offers students a multitude of benefits, such as a reduced registration fee and lower fundraising minimums. Its a great way to join a group of students who all have one goal.

This year (Pelotonia 2012) will be my fourth year riding in the event. Over the years, I’ve seen riders of all skill levels – from those with training wheels to those that live and breathe in spandex. There’s definitely room for you to ride, and its a great way to connect with the Fisher community while giving back in a meaningful way.

For more information, also check out the Team Buckeye website (and specifically the student team). There’s certainly a way for you to get involved if and when you choose to join the Ohio State community, whether you volunteer, donate, or ride 25/50/75/100/150/180 miles in the fully supported ride itself.

A group of us at the lunch break. Check out our awesome Team Buckeye jerseys!

Somewhere between the return of football season and pawing through my dresser for jeans, I start to wonder where summer went. I’m sure we’re all feeling that way now, as drizzly weather highlights the first full week of classes.

We packed a lot of fun in this summer, visits to the zoo, walks in the park, King’s Island, vacation at the beach, etc. But there was one event that defined this summer–Pelotonia. For those of you who don’t know, Pelotonia is a bike ride to raise funds for the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center/James Cancer Hospital. At its longest, it is a two-day tour from Columbus to Athens and back to Canal Winchester. However, there are shorter tours to Groveport and Amanda. Amazingly, 100 percent of all donations go to cancer research.

Opening Ceremonies Picture for Team I-Ride

After following news of Pelotonia’s launch in 2009, my husband, Bill (who works for OSUMC’s biomedical informatics department) signed up to ride this year. While his generous spirit did not surprise me, I was a bit concerned about how he would accomplish a 30+ mile ride from campus to Amanda AND raise the $1,000 he was required to pledge. Let’s face it, the only bike he had was one he used on campus as an undergrad nearly two decades before, which now resided in our barn as a home for wayward spiders. That bike wasn’t going to be touring anything.

So…with two months to go before the big event, we began shopping for bikes, looking at accessories, mapping training routes, and spreading the word that we would welcome donations. Every Saturday morning Bill would head out on his new bike, gradually increasing his distance and improving his endurance. Occasionally I would join him on these rides, but my old tank of a bike couldn’t keep up with the sleek model he bought (yeah, that’s my excuse, I mean, that’s the real reason I was panting).

After months of training and fund raising, Bill reached his goal: He rode the 32 miles to Amanda in good time, raised more than $1,000 from generous friends, family, and coworkers, and helped spread the word about the amazing cancer research happening at the OSUMC. Now it’s time for the bike to go into storage until the next Tour de Corn for a good cause.